Whether you use a keyword tool, automated software, or do it manually, keyword research is undeniably the foundation of every good affiliate marketing business. It doesn’t matter if you’re an organic search guru or a PPC fanatic, you must be able to locate the keywords that MATTER and become competitive for them as fast as possible. That is if you want to SUCCEED at internet marketing.

I’ll admit that when I got started, keyword research was always at the bottom of my to-do list. Truthfully, I hated it! (Shhhh… don’t tell anyone). That’s obviously changed over the years, because to be a true super affiliate, you’d better have some fantastic keyword lists. But in the beginning, I had no idea how important it really was.

So, for all the wannabe marketers out there who don’t know where to start with their keyword research or who do but dread doing it, here are some tips that should help you to move along from marketing dud to marketing wiz in no time.

Basic Research

To get started, you need to do some basic research. You probably have a very rough idea of what people are searching for – the simple keywords that every good marketer pinpoints early on. But, that initial list is the same as brainstorming for a novel. Sure, you have a rough outline, but you still need to sit down and write the thing. And I guarantee you that your final keyword list (IF you do your research right) will be vastly different from you brainstorming list. Test it and see.

Anyway, lots of folks like to get started in the Google Keyword Tool – it’s free, easy to use and has a decent amount of data to draw from. Like most free keyword tools it’s not 100% accurate and is based on PPC data, so if you’re working on an organic campaign, it’s not going to be exactly what you’re looking for, but it’s a decent start. If you don’t have a working budget whatsoever, it’s really your only choice.

To get started, visit the Google Adwords Free Keyword Tool and enter a basic term or phrase into the search tool. You can enter multiple terms, but for now, just one will do. I’ll use “lose weight” as an example. The top level of search results will be terms that use the basic term, and will include things like:

• How to lose weight
• Lose weight fast
• Lose belly weight

These terms are all directly related to the term and give you more options to build your list. Look for the Global Monthly Search Volume to get an idea of how many searches this term gets each month.

Unless you’re developing a PPC campaign, ignore any local search volume data that Google gives you. Also ignore the competition data as this relates to advertising. You just want to know how many people are searching.

Next, scroll down a bit and see what “additional keywords to consider” Google has selected. These are syntax related terms and might include phrases like:

• How to burn fat
• Weight loss tips
• Get thin fast
• Muscle building tips

Basically, terms that tend to show up with the phrase you searched for originally will appear here. These are not necessarily terms you will all use, but you can get a lot of ideas this way. Your goal should be to create a list of any terms you think someone would search for when they are trying to solve the weight loss problem. Later, we’ll narrow down to specific keywords that help you.

Forums and In-depth Research

Another great way to find keywords is to go to industry specific pages, like forums, and search for terms that relate to questions or problems that people have in this niche. Forums are good because they represent a hub of data where users will search for solutions to particular problems.

For example, if you were to visit a weight loss and dieting forum, you might find specific body locations and muscle groups that people are targeting, like:

• Pectoral fat burning
• Get rid of fat on obliques
• Build bigger quads

These terms may not have popped up immediately because they are a bit too specific. Another great way to create lists of more specific industry terms is to analyze competitor pages. Which keywords are your competitors using to boost their own pages?

Keyword Tools like Traffic Travis allow you to input URLs and get keyword reports on how a site is optimized. You can also search for sites or keywords in the ad analyzer to see which terms are being used with Google AdWords.

***Just as a side note, I used to use and recommend Market Samurai, but lately they have been having issues — like MAJOR not being able to do its job issues. Traffic Travis has just recently been completely overhauled, and it has gone from an “okay” tool to a “great” one, so I’ve switched over.

Best Types of Keywords

Okay, so now you have a good general idea of what keywords you’ll be using. What about the actual terms you should be targeting. I have a small listing of terms I like to use as often as possible. How you optimize will depend on your strategy, but if you’re doing PPC, you pretty much have to have lists for these particular terms:

• Author Names – If you’re promoting info products on weight loss products, you can find keywords related to the authors of those info products. Check your affiliate program’s rules to determine if you’re allowed to do this, but most vendors will be perfectly happy to let you. More commissions for you means more profits for them.
• Product Names – Along the same lines, product names are highly successful conversion tools. Most people, when searching for a specific product name, are looking for reviews, or final justification before a purchase. Volume is lower, but you’re getting leads that are much more likely to convert.
• Buy Phrases – Find keywords with terms like “buy”, “order”, “purchase”, or “download”. If you have that, plus a product name or author name, you can almost guarantee the prospect is ready to make a purchase. These keywords have far fewer searches, but are worth 10-100 times more than a standard product related keyword.
• Crisis Keywords – These are keywords related to a crisis that your searcher may be in. For example, many people search for gardening advice, but if they’re in a crisis, their search is much more urgent. Keywords then might include “cure blight”, “kill pests on tomatoes”, or “tomatoes won’t grow”. These are specific, immediate problems that they’ll buy a product to solve.
• Product Related Keywords – General keywords related to a product niche are still valuable, but can be a little more dangerous. You need to be more careful here in general. Here you’ll find things like “how to”, “lessons”, “online”, etc – terms that relate to getting advice, but with less urgency.
• Long Tails – Finally, if you’re doing PPC or creating an authority site, using long tail keywords can really boost your performance. For example, if you’re writing about dog training, you can add the dog breeds to beginning of each keyword – instantly creating 200 longtails for each base keyword you have.

For example, someone might search for “fix golden retriever aggression” and someone else might search for “fix poodle aggression”. Those are both specific longtails and can be extended as much as is needed to get your traffic.

Keywords are the currency of any good affiliate marketer. You want traffic? You need to find the words people are searching for and become competitive for them. So, before you ever start marketing any of your new niche products, spend some time researching, building lists, and analyzing the keywords.

Check with tools like Google and Traffic Travis, check to make sure there is volume, and always check your competitors to see what they’re optimized for. If you do it right, you should be able to create a huge list of potential gold keywords.

Good Luck!!!

If you’re interested in seeing actual numbers related to the Google Farmer Update, Ezinearticles, and who was affected most by what is arguably the greatest travesty in internet marketing since the Adwords crackdown, here you go. As reported by the SISTRIX Visibility Index (an index value calculated from traffic on keywords, ranking and click-through rate on specific positions), these are the top 25 hardest hit websites, including their numbers the day before the Google Update, and the day after the algorithm change.

Take a look, but be forewarned. It ain’t too pretty if you rely on article directories for your living.



Google gives internet marketing the finger.

Google’s latest algorithm change has whipped the majority of Internet marketers into a frenzy. They don’t know which way to go, and that’s understandable. Almost everything they have been taught over the past few years about making money online hinges upon a technique that Google has now rendered virtually useless.

If you dabble in Internet marketing at all, and specifically in article marketing, then you have no doubt heard about Google’s new update, lovingly referred to as the “Farmer Update.” The purpose of this update is to eradicate content farms, or websites that use keyword stuffed content designed specifically to game the system and increase ranking in Google.

This is where I have to laugh, at myself and all the other Internet marketers out there who have been studying and teaching the article marketing method. You see, Google’s new algorithm change not only affects Internet marketing, as it exists today — it is actually laser targeted to destroy it. And you can’t blame Google. Not at all. They are merely trying to retain (or regain) the integrity of their search results. I mean you have to admit that lately, Google results pages have begun to resemble the spam folder in your e-mail account.

I have always been skeptical of article marketing in its most used form. Marketers are generally taught to produce tons of copy, hundreds or even thousands of spun articles, and submit them to as many article directories, social networking sites, and websites as they possibly can. Ezinearticles.com is the undisputed king of article marketing, and it has been hit very hard with this new algorithm change, with most of its articles being wiped from the Google search results. This has punched a lot of Internet marketers right in the pocketbook.

That doesn’t hurt my feelings too much though. The reason I don’t care very much is because most of the Internet marketers who rely heavily on article marketing are producing inferior content just to achieve rankings. Google knows this. Everyone knows it. It’s the standard in Internet marketing right now. Never mind quality of content. That’s for people who want to do a lot of work instead of making lots of money.

Well, I disagree, and I don’t care who knows it. I may step on some toes in saying this, but it’s the truth. The majority of Internet marketers and marketing methods are degrading the Internet experience, and it needs to come to a stop. I love making money just as much as the next marketer, but I also hate being spammed, tricked, and bombarded with useless information just as much as the next consumer. If I thought the only way to make money was to game the system and engage in “black hat” trickery, then I would retire today and go get an 8 to 5 job.

Don’t get me wrong… I have done some things I’m not proud of. When I first started in Internet marketing, I did try a few black hat tactics, but that kind of marketing never sat well with me. Frankly, it jumbled me up in knots inside, and just made me nervous and ashamed. I couldn’t pull it off.

Fortunately, I know how to make money while still providing good content for people who need it, and contributing to the positive growth of the Internet rather than its degradation. There are lots of marketers out there who are able to make a living while retaining their integrity, and you can do it to.

Yes, my views on ezinearticles.com have plummeted, as you can see by the diagram I included in this article. However, I do not rely on those to make my living. I have contributed very few articles to ezinearticles.com, and almost none to other article marketing sites.

On the whole, I believe this new algorithm of Google’s is a great positive step for Internet search, and I’m counting on it helping rather than hurting me and other respectable marketers who play by the rules. I have all the confidence in the world that quality content will and should rule, and that changes like the Google Farmer Update will push us all to hold ourselves to a higher standard, and in the end, the industry of Internet marketing will benefit.

But is article marketing dead? Stay tuned for the next article to find out what we can all do now. Sign up for my free ebook and newsletter to be the first to know!